How to Fortify Your House Against Burglaries

Replace any existing hollow-core doors with either a metal-clad, solid wood or steel door.

Install a heavy-duty deadbolt, with at least a 1-inch throw bolt, on all exterior doors.

Replace all current strike plates with heavy-duty brass strike plates. Secure the plates with four to six 3-inch screws to keep intruders from kicking in the door.

Block sliding glass door tracks from the inside with a wooden dowel or other commercial blocking device to prevent a burglar from forcing the door open. Install a through-the-door pin or upper-track screw to prevent intruders from lifting the sliding door off its tracks.

Block all existing windows from opening more than 6 inches. Cut wooden dowels 6 inches shorter than the height of each window's frame and drop them into frame's metal gutter to keep the window from opening more than 6 inches. Or replace existing windows with newer models that provide a built-in blocking feature.

Screw sheet metal screws halfway into the upper window track of pop-out windows to prevent burglars from the lifting the windows out of their tracks.

Cover windows with laminate film to make the glass less easy to break and act as a stumbling block to intruders.

Install a home alarm with a loud, piercing alert that lasts at least 30 seconds. This should effectively scare away anyone who attempts to break into your home.

Install motion lights around the perimeter of your home, such as on each side of all your windows. The lights should be bright enough for you to see 100 feet outward -- a deterrent against burglars who prefer to keep a low profile.